A large number of Border Patrol agents are threatening to leave their positions if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the 2024 presidential election. In conversations with the New York Post, several agents expressed frustration with the current administration’s border policies and said they cannot endure another four years of what they describe as being “undermined and scapegoated.”
One anonymous agent stated bluntly, “I’m not doing this s–t again … four years of hell,” while another added, “Lots of guys who can retire will go. If Trump wins, they’ll stay.”
The National Border Patrol Council, the union representing Border Patrol agents, has made its stance clear by offering a full endorsement of Donald Trump. Trump has long made border security a key pillar of his platform, and the union’s backing signals widespread dissatisfaction within the ranks of the Border Patrol with the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of immigration and border security.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, the Border Patrol has experienced significant personnel losses, with more than 4,000 agents leaving since October 2020. Currently, the agency is left with around 19,000 employees, according to the Washington Examiner. Recruitment incentives, including raising bonuses from $10,000 to as high as $30,000 and encouraging retired agents to return, have not been sufficient to close the gap.
Both Trump and Harris have made commitments to strengthen the Border Patrol in their campaigns, with Trump proposing to increase the force by 10,000 agents, or about one-third of the current workforce. However, many agents doubt that Harris, if elected, would take significant steps to address the agency’s growing morale and staffing problems.
“We will have another exodus just because we will have a bunch of 20-year agents saying ‘peace out,’” one agent said. He added that even mid-career agents with five to ten years of experience, who handle much of the agency’s day-to-day work, might choose to leave for other job opportunities.
“Under this administration, they’ve done everything they could to make our job as inefficient as possible,” said another agent, reflecting on the policies that have left agents feeling frustrated and demoralized. He continued, “They can’t outwardly tell us not to do our job, but when you’re watching criminals come in and get released, it sucks.”
The low morale within the Border Patrol has reached such a critical point that the agency has hired its first-ever suicidologist to address rising suicide rates among Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees, including Border Patrol agents. In 2022, CBP reported a record 15 suicides, according to the New York Post. This grim statistic underscores the severity of the mental health crisis within the agency, compounded by the difficult working conditions under the current administration.
Chris Clem, a former Border Patrol Chief in Yuma, Arizona, spoke out against the Biden-Harris administration’s impact on the agency, stating, “The morale has never been as low in the Border Patrol.” Clem added that Harris, in particular, has been detrimental to morale. “Kamala Harris has been bad for morale, not only for law enforcement around the country but also for our border security personnel.”
The issue of illegal immigration and border security has been a central theme in the 2024 election cycle. Republicans, including Donald Trump, have consistently argued that the Biden-Harris administration has been too lenient, allowing hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings every month. In December 2023, over 250,000 people were reported to have crossed the U.S. border illegally, though that number fell to 54,000 in recent months after new asylum restrictions were implemented.
While the decrease in illegal crossings may seem like a positive development, critics believe these measures were primarily aimed at boosting Harris’s electability. As the designated “border czar” for much of Biden’s term, Harris has been criticized for failing to address the surge of illegal crossings early in the administration.
Paul Perez, the president of the National Border Patrol Council, did not mince words when speaking about Harris’s track record on border security. He warned of the consequences if she wins the 2024 election, stating, “If we allow Border Czar Harris to win this election, every city, every community in this great country, is going to go to hell.” Perez accused Harris of allowing “untold millions of people” to enter the country, who he claims are responsible for committing serious crimes, including murder, rape, and robbery.
Perez ended his statement with a strong endorsement of Trump, saying, “Only one man can fix that, and that is Donald J. Trump. He has always stood with the men and women who protect this border.”
The Border Patrol staffing crisis, combined with deteriorating morale, presents a significant challenge for the next administration, regardless of who wins the presidency. If Harris is elected, she will face the daunting task of rebuilding trust with Border Patrol agents while addressing the ongoing immigration issues. If Trump wins, his promise to expand the Border Patrol and restore order at the border will be put to the test as he works to reimplement his hardline immigration policies.
As November approaches, the stakes for both the Border Patrol and the nation’s broader immigration debate have never been higher. The future of border security—and the people tasked with enforcing it—may well hinge on the outcome of this election.
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